Antenna support



April 1940- H. L, JENKINS 2.199.050

ANTENNA SUPPURT Filed June 14, 1937 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 I a 7.29.]. n

April 30, 1940. JENKINS 2,199,050

ANTENNA SUPPORT Filed June 14, 1957 s Sheets-Sheet 2 April 30, 1940. H. LIJENKINS 2.199.050

ANTENNA SUPPORT Filed June 14, 1937 s Sheets-Sheet s Patented A r. 30, 1940 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Howard L. Jenkins, Springfield, Ohio Application June 14, 1937, Serial No. 148,171

8 Claims.

The invention relates to a mounting for an antenna for both sending and receiving radios.

The principal object of the invention, generally stated, is to provide an antenna mounting which I may be rotated through a complete circle at the wish or desire of the operator of the radio station so as to obtain a maximum efllciency of the antenna.

A still further object of the invention is to provide an antenna comprising a hollow metallic rod or bar having a length proportionate to the wave length of the station, the antenna preferably comprising a plurality of such has arranged to project preferably in the same plane ll and in opposite directions and being rigidly supported at its point of maximum diameter, the rod or bar being so constructed and arranged as to be substantially rigid for its entire length.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a mounting for an antenna of the type described which embodies a stand having a rotatable frame mounted thereon, the frame constituting a support not only for the antenna but for similar bars or rods which are positioned in a predetermined relation to the antenna so as to act as reflectors and directional means for the radio wave projected from the antenna.

A still further object of the invention is to provide an antenna mounting including a stand and a frame rotatably mounted thereon, the frame also being adjustable so that the angular position of the antenna means, the reflecting means and the directional means may all be adjusted simultaneously with reference to a vertical plane passed through the axis of rotation of said frame.

Still another object of the invention is to provide means for rigidly connecting a rod antenna to an insulator so as to provide a simple and extremely rigid mounting for the rod so that the same may project from the insulator for substantially its entire length.

Other objects of the invention will be apparent from the detailed description of the embodi- 5 ments of the invention which are illustrated on the accompanying drawings in which Figure 1 is a top-plan view illustrating one embodiment of the invention.

Figure 2 is a side elevation of the structure 50 shown in Fig. 1.

Figure 3 is a transverse vertical section taken on line 3-3 of Figure 1, the direction of view being indicated by the arrows adjacent the ends of said section line.

'5 Figure 4 is a transverse vertical sectional view taken through the center of rotation illustrating in section the means for rotatably mounting the frame and also for adjusting the angular position of the frame with reference to a vertical'plane passed through the center of rotation.

Figure 5 is a cross section on the line 5-5 of Figure 2.

Figure 6 is a fragmentary view taken on line Y 6--6 of Figure 4.

Figure 7 is a fragmentary view taken on line 10 1-'| of Figure 4, illustrating a means for connecting the hollow antenna rods to the insulator members carried by the rotatable frame.

Figure 8 is a fragmentary sectional view taken on line 8-8 of Figure 4.

Figure 9 is a plan view of one of the antenna rods, portions of which are broken away.

Figure 10 is a cross sectional view of the rod taken on line llil0 of Figure 9.

Figure 11 is a top plan view of a slightly modigo 'fied form of the invention.

Figure 12 is a side elevational view of the same.

Throughout the specification and drawings like numbers designate like parts.

The numeral l designates a frame which may 95 be mounted on any desirable foundation, that is either upon the ground or upon the roof of a building so as to form a support for the antenna frame 2. Illustrated in the drawings, the frame 2 is supported upon the frame I by a base mem- 30 her 3 which is mounted for rotation upon the frame I by means of a spindle 4 which carries at opposite ends bearings 5 and 6 and to which spindle is rigidly secured a hand-wheel or pulley I by which the spindle 4 may be rotated so as to 35 rotate the base 3 and frame 2 in any desired angular relation to the frame I, the spindle being provided at its upper end with a collar 8 rigidly connected to the spindle 4, which collar is in turn bolted to the base member 3 by means of the bolts 9, the base 3 being in turn bolted to the frame 2 in any desired manner. The base 3- may be provided, as shown in Figure 4, with upper and lower sections 3 and 3 which are I hingedly secured to each other by means of the hinge l0 and which'are maintained in any desired position by means of the bolt H and the wedge I2, the bolt ll being adapted to pass through the enlarged openings l2 in the upper member 3 so that the upper member may change its angular relation to the bolt without binding thereon. In order to adjust the angular position ofthe parts 3 and 3 a lock nut l3 on the bolt II is released and the wedge I! moved inwardly or outwardly until the desired angular relation is obtained, whereupon the serrated edges formed on the upper surface of the wedge will interlock with the corresponding notches formed on the lower face of the member 3 to maintain the wedge in its position and the lock nut I3 is then retightened to maintain the parts in this position.

The spindle I4 is secured to the frame I by' providing the outer casing or bearing housing I! with a plurality of collars l5 and I6 which are secured to the casing l4 and, after being adjusted to embrace a horizontal member ll of the frame I, are bolted thereto, as clearly indicated in Figure 4.

The frame 2 preferably comprises a pair of parallel bars I8 which are preferably braced at points intermediate their ends by transverse bars l9. In the form of the invention shown in Figures l to 10, inclusive, I provide the frame 2 with further transverse connecting members 20, three of which are shown in Figure 1. Mounted adjacent the ends of these members are insulators 21. These insulators are, for convenience only, illustrated as a, pin type insulator and are each provided with a socket to receive a pin by which,

they are rigidly mounted in respect to a base.

.They are preferably provided with a plurality of skirt portions so as to increase the leakage distance between the conductor and the base. Inthe particular form of the invention here illustrated I utilize the usual conductor groove formed on the upper surface of these insulators to receive the end of the antenna bar 22 and in order to secure the bar rigidly to the insulator I provide two clips 23 and 24 which are preferably duplicates, each clip being provided with an upstanding arm 25 terminating in a loop throug which the bar 22 is adapted to pass. The clips 23 and 24 are secured to the insulator body by bolts and nuts 26, the maximum diameter of the opening formed by the semi-circular portions of the clips 23 and 24 being substantially the same as the cross-sectional diameter of the portion of the insulator to which the clips are bolted. By tightening the bolts 26 it is therefore possible to rigidly secure each rod 22 to its adjacent insulator.

While for convenience I have referred to the rods 26 as antenna, it is obvious that these rods form antenna only when they are electrically connected to the station or radio set and where used either as reflectors or as directional means they differ in no respect from the rods used as antenna except that when used as reflectors or directional means they are insulated from and not electrically connected with the set or station.

It has been common practice to use wires for both reflectors and antennas but wires being flexible must be supported at oppositeends and despite all efforts, wire, when supported at its opposite ends, will take the form of a catenary curve. It is desirable to provide members both for antenna and for reflecting or directional means of substantially rigid form in order that they may be supported by means positioned at one end only, and this I accomplish by utilizing hollow rods which are formed preferably of steel although certain alloys may be substituted therefor if desired. These rods are provided with a plurality of tapered sections, indicated by the reference character 21, which terminate at opposite ends in the straight sections 28, the straight sections being adapted to telescope with a portion of the adjacent straight section, as clearly illustrated both in Figures 9 and 10. The

, reflector means.

rods are therefore adapted to be built up in sections, each section being preferably formed by a die-pressing operation, the entire rod, therefore, being substantially rigid and exceedingly light. By mounting the rods uponthe frame 2, as has been hereinbefore described, I form a balance member since the weight of one rod is counterbalanced by the weight of the opposite rods and by connecting the rods in pairs to the frame at their points of maximum diameter I form an antenna whose. power' absorption co-efilcient is reduced to a minimum.

Where a plurality of rods are employed, such as illustrated in Figure 11, they are preferably positioned on opposite sides of the center of rotation and at a predetermined distance from the center of rotation. One of said pairs of rods beng electrically connected to the station, serves as antenna means and a second pair being insulated from the frame and station to serve as It will, of course, be understood that the length of the rods and their positions in respect of the center of rotation is dependent upon the wave length of the station and with a given wave and a given power, the length of the rods and their positions are a matter of mathematical calculation.

In the form of the invention shown in Figures 1 to 3, inclusive, I provide the frame 2 with a vertical upright 29 which is adequately braced by the diagonal members 30 and at the upper and lower extremities of the frame I provide members similar to the members 20 having insulators 2| connected thereto in pairs, each of the insulators being adapted to support the inner end of a rod 22. In this particular embodiment the rods 22 which are adjacent the pivotal center of the frame 2 are preferably utilized as the antenna means. The rods 22' adjacent the lefthand extremity of the frame 2 are used as directional means while the rods 22 at the ends of the frame 29 and at the right-hand end of the frame 2 are reflecting means which determine the distribution and intensity of the waves generated in the antenna rods 22. Other positions of the directional and reflector rods may be utilized without departing from the scope of my invention.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is:

l. A mounting for an antenna including a stand, a frame member rotatably mounted thereon, said member extending on opposite sides and at the point of rotation thereof, a plurality-of thereon, a plurality of pairs of insulators carried by said frame, and a plurality of pairs of tapering hollow metallic members, each of said tapering members being rigidly connected to at least one of said insulators adjacent its point of maximum diameter, the members of each pair extending in opposite directions.

3. A mounting for an antenna including a suitable support, a frame rotatably mounted thereon, a plurality of pairs of insulatgiis carried by said frame, and a plurality of pairs of tapering hollow metallic members, each of said tapering members being rigidly connected to at least one of said insulators adjacent its point of maximum diameter, said tapering metallic members extending substantially at right angles to the major axis of said frame, the members of each pair extending in opposite directions.

4. A mounting for an antenna including a suitable support, an elongated frame pivotally mounted on said support adjacent its center, a plurality of pairs of insulatorsrigidly mounted onsaid frame, said pairs of insulators being arranged adjacent the opposite ends of said frame, hollow metallic members each of which is rigidly connected to one of said insulators of each pair, each pair of metallic members extending transversely of said frame, one pair of said hollow metallic members being adapted to act as an antenna.

5. A mounting for an antenna including a stand, a frame pivotally and rotatably secured to said stand, a plurality of pairs of insulators mounted on said frame, a plurality of hollow rigid bars, each of said bars being rigidly connected to at least one of said insulators of each pair, and means for causing one pair of said bars to act as an antenna and another pair of said bars to act as a reflector.

6. A mounting for an antenna including a support, a frame carried by said support, a plurality of spaced pairs of insulators carried by said frame, certain of said pairs of insulators being arranged in vertical alinement and in spaced relation to the horizontal plane of said frame, a plurality of hollow metallic bars, each of said bars being connected to an insulator, each pair of bars being adapted to extend in opposite directions from and transversely of said frame, each of said bars being tapered, the larger end of each bar being secured to at least one of said insulators.

7. A mounting for an antenna including a support, a frame carried by said support, a plurality of spaced pairs of insulators carried by said frame, certain of said pairs of insulators being arranged in vertical alinement and in spaced relation to the horizontal plane of said frame, and a plurality of hollow metallic bars, each of said bars being connected to at least one insulator, each pair of bars being adapted. to extend in opposite directions from said frame, each of said bars being tapered, the larger end of each bar being secured to said insulators, and said bars being adapted to extend at an angle .to a vertical plane passed through the longitudinal axis of said frame.

8. A mounting for an antenna including a support, a frame carried by said support, a plurality of spaced pairs of insulators carried by said frame, certain of said pairs of insulators being arranged in vertical alinement and in spaced relation to the horizontal plane of said frame, and a plurality of hollow metallic bars, each of said bars being connected to at least one insulator, each pair of bars being adapted to extend in opposite directions from said frame, each of said bars being tapered, the larger end of each bar being secured to said insulators, said bars being adapted to extend substantially at right angles to a vertical plane passed through the longitudinal axis of said frame, one pair of said bars being adapted to serve as an antenna, and the other pairs of bars serving as directional and reflective means respectively for waves generated in said antenna.

- HOWARD L. JENKINS. 

